Volpino Italiano Breed Magazine features information, expert articles, and stunning photos from AKC judges, breeders, and owners.
ITALIANO VOLPINO
Let’s Talk Breed Education!
FEDERATION CYNOLOGIQUE INTERNATIONALE (AISBL) SECRETARIAT GENERAL: 13, Place Albert 1 er B – 6530 Thuin (Belgique) ______________________________________________________________________________
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17.12.2015/EN
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FCI-Standard N° 195
VOLPINO ITALIANO (Italian Volpino)
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TRANSLATION : Mrs. Peggy Davis and Mr. Antonio Crepaldi (ATAVI). Revised by Mrs. Renée Sporre-Willes. Official language (EN).
ORIGIN : Italy.
DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE OFFICIAL VALID STANDARD : 13.11.2015.
UTILIZATION : Guard and companion dog.
FCI - CLASSIFICATION : Group 5 Spitz and primitive type. Section 4 European Spitz. Without working trial. BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY : The Volpino is one of the descendants of the European Spitz that already existed in the central region of our continent since the Bronze Age and of which skeleton fossils have been discovered around the foundation piles of the dwellings on stilts. So the Volpino goes back to the same ancestors as the German Spitz of which he is not a descendant, but a relative. He has been bred in Italy since immemorial times and has been idolized in the palaces of the noblemen as well as in the hovels of the common people, where he was especially appreciated because of his instinct of guard and vigilance. Work by Vittore Carpaccio from 1502 shows a Volpino in the Venetian painting, The vision of St Austin . Volpino was the dog of Michelangelo, and in the 18 th century, the tireless companion of the carters of Tuscany and Latium, always ready to noisily announce any strangers met on the roads. The standard was written in 1913 and the breed was fairly popular during the first part of the 20 th century but then it disappeared. Some white specimens appeared again in 1968 and the Volpino were registered again in 1972. Even the earlier well-known red colour is seen again.
GENERAL APPEARANCE : Small sized dog of Spitz type, compact, harmonious, with a long stand-off coat.
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IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS : Length of body from the point of shoulder to the point of buttock is equal to the height at the withers. Length of muzzle is 4/10 of the total length of the head. Depth of chest is slightly less than half the height at the withers. BEHAVIOUR/TEMPERAMENT : Very attached to his environment and his family, with exuberant temperament, lively, happy and playful.
HEAD : Pyramid shape, length reaching almost 4/10ths of the height at the withers.
CRANIAL REGION: Skull: Longer than the muzzle and slightly egg-shaped; viewed either in longitudinal or transversal direction. The bizygomatic width exceeds half the length of the head. The medio-frontal furrow is only slightly marked; occipital protuberance is slightly marked. The superior axes of the skull and muzzle are slightly convergent. Stop: Well defined. FACIAL REGION: Nose: Large, black, with well-opened nostrils. Seen in profile, set in the same line as the topline of the muzzle and does not protrude beyond the front line of the lips. Muzzle: Inferior in length to that of the skull with lateral surfaces convergent is pointed but not exaggeratedly. The nasal bridge is straight. Seen in profile, the lower edge of the muzzle is determined by the lower jaw. Lips: Lips, although somewhat thick, are tightly close fitting and the rims of the upper lips are stretched in a straight line. The labial commissure is not visible. Lip-rims are black. Jaws/Teeth: Jaws strong, normally developed white teeth, regular and complete set of teeth. Scissor bite, pincer bite is tolerated. Cheeks: Normally developed, not protruding.
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EYES : Well opened and of a normal size, expression denoting vigilance and vivaciousness. Roundish but eyeball not prominent, set in sub-frontal position: eyelids close-fitting to the eyeball. Colour of the iris is dark brown; the rims of the lids are black. EARS : Triangular shape, pricked, with a rigid cartilage and the inner surface of the lobe showing forward. High set and close together. The length of the ears measures to about half the length of the head.
NECK : Length is about equal to that of the head. Neck always carried upright. Well muscled. Skin closely fitting.
BODY : Square built, its length measured from the point of the shoulder to that of the buttock is equal to the height at the withers. Topline: Dorsal line straight, slightly convex over the loins. Withers: Slightly raised from dorsal line, harmoniously set into neck.
Back: Straight, strong musculature, longer than loin. Loin: Short, broad, well muscled and slightly arched.
Croup: Extends the line of the loin and is longer than broad. Obliqueness from the hip to base of the tail is of 10° below the horizontal. Well muscled. Chest: Descending to level of elbows; ribs well sprung. Sternal region is long but breastbone not to protrude point of shoulder. Underline and belly: From sternum to belly rising only slightly. The hollow of the flanks is slightly accentuated. TAIL : Set in the prolongation of the croup, high set and carried permanently curled over the back and reaching as near to the neck as possible. Its length is a little less than half the height at the withers. Tail is strong at the base and narrowing towards the tip; it is covered with abundant long coat.
LIMBS
FOREQUARTERS: General appearance: Legs set perfectly vertical to each other and parallel in relation to the median plane of the body. Height at the elbows is slightly more than half the height at the withers.
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Shoulder: The length of the shoulder blade is equal to 1/4 of the height at the withers and its obliqueness below the horizontal is of 60°. Well-developed muscles. The scapulo-humeral angle is 125°. Upper arm: Longer than the shoulder blade and its obliqueness below the horizontal is of 65°. Elbow: Parallel to the median plane of the body. The humero-radial angle is 155°. Forearm: Longer than the upper arm, fine but strong bone, dry musculature. Carpus (Wrist): Strong, almost as broad as the forearm. Metacarpus (Pastern): Almost as wide as the forearm: slightly sloping. Forefeet: Oval shaped with closely-knit and arched toes. Strong pads with black pigmentation, nails preferably black. HINDQUARTERS: General appearance: Seen from behind, hind legs must follow a perfectly vertical line from the point of the buttock to the ground. They are parallel to each other. Thigh: The length is equal to 1/3 of the height at the withers. Broad with well-developed muscles. Obliqueness of 60° below the horizontal; coxo-femoral angle of 90°. Stifle (Knee): Parallel to the median plane of the body; femoro-tibia angle of 115° – 120°. Lower thigh: Length is a little less than that of the thigh. Of a light, but strong bone structure and its obliqueness below the horizontal is of 55° – 60°. Well muscled. Hock joint: Strong but not broad. The tibio-tarsal angle is 145° – 150°. Metatarsus (Rear pastern): Vertical and perfectly straight seen as much in profile as from behind. Sufficiently broad. Length from point of hock to ground slightly more than 25% of the height at the withers. Hind feet: Oval shaped with closely-knit and arched toes. Strong pads with black pigmentation, nails preferably black. GAIT / MOVEMENT : Normal trot, must not be hopping. Characteristic gallop is that of a stayer rather than a sprinter. Gait with normal steps, not striding out.
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SKIN : Taut, well adhered without looseness in any part.
COAT Hair: Dense, very long and exceptionally straight and standing-off. Of harsh texture with straight stiff guard hairs; must never be falling flat but be upstanding even when there is not of a lot of coat. The body gives the impression of being wrapped up in a muff, particularly on the neck where the coat forms an abundant collar, but not like a mane. The skull is covered with semi-long hairs that hide the base of the ears. Hair is short on the muzzle. On the ears, the hair is very fine and smooth. The tail is covered with very long hair. On the backside of the hindquarters, the coat forms trousers. Colour: Self-colour white or red. Champagne colour is tolerated but not desirable. The white colour should be clear white with a depth like milk. Pale biscuit shading on ears is tolerated, although it is a fault. The red colour is of an intense deer-red; lighter shades are tolerated on the tail and trousers. A little white on feet is tolerated, as is a slight darkish overlay on the collar and shoulders.
SIZEAND WEIGHT : Height at the withers: Males: 27 – 30 cm. Females: 25 – 28 cm.
Weight: In proportion to the height at the withers.
FAULTS : Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog. • Skull too long or too narrow. • Muzzle too long. • Nose with light pigment. • Reversed scissor bite. • Light eyes. • Ears that is too small. • Coarse and heavy in build.
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• Body slightly long, not square. • Coat that lacks volume. • Mane instead of coat collar. • Guard-coat falling flat. • Size, 2 cm over the limits indicated in the standard. SEVERE FAULTS : • Apple-head. • Prominent eyeballs, oval eye shape. • Shallow stop. • Pinched muzzle. • Missing two or more teeth (except PM1 and M3). • Undershot bite. • Rectangular in body. • Tail tucked in between hindlegs. • Absence of undercoat. • Woolly guard coat. • White feet in red-coated dogs. • Red coat with heavy black overlay.
DISQUALIFYING FAULTS : • Aggressive or overly shy dogs. • Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities. • Untypical. • Convex nose bridge. • Overshot bite. • Total depigmentation of nose or eye rims. • Wall eye. • Ears completely drooping. • Lack of tail or very short tail whether congenital or acquired. • Any colour except white, red or the not desirable champagne colour. • Red markings on white basic colour, white or black markings on red basic colour.
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N.B. : • Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum. • Only functionally and clinically healthy dogs, with breed typical conformation, should be used for breeding.
FCI-St. N° 195 / 17.12.2015
VOLPINO ITALIANO
BY SARAH WILSON
O n a bright Saturday afternoon this past June, some- thing happened for the very first time. A small, lively, exuberant dog with dark, round eyes, a joyful expres- sion, fine straight lines, neat oval feet, and an abun- dant white coat trotted gaily into an American Kennel Club con- formation ring at a Foundation Stock Service Open Show hosted by the Greenwich Kennel Club. Spectators were charmed, and his owner-handler, a board member of our national breed club, spent the next several hours introducing the Volpino Italiano to a new audience of dog enthusiasts. None of the spectators knew it, but those two minutes in the ring were the culmination of more than 17 years of dedicated effort by the founders of the Volpino Italiano Club of America (VICA) to see this ancient, rustic breed exhibited at an AKC event. Meeting a Volpino is an uncommon, but almost universally delightful, experience. She is a small, squarely built dog with a wedge-shaped head, pointed ears, and a pointed, straight muzzle that give her the appearance of a small fox. Indeed, the literal trans- lation of the word volpino , a diminutive form of the Italian word volpe, is “little fox.” Her bright, round eyes are always very dark and expressively curious. Her little black nose, sitting in line with the top of a slim muzzle, rests above black-lined lips which part to give the effect of a dog that is smiling or laughing with you. She stands at most 9-12 inches at the shoulder and her body is compact and harmonious, with straight, well-muscled lines, light but strong bones, a smooth, graceful gait, and an elegant, high-set
tail carried permanently curled over her back. She has a long, stand- ing-off coat of straight, glossy guard hairs over a dense undercoat that gives her the appearance of being wrapped up in a muff or abun- dant collar. Most often a clear, milky white, she can also be found in red and black variations (though black is not currently an accepted color). When she is out with her family, she is friendly to strang- ers but never fawning. When prompted, she is happy to make new friends, but she is equally content to observe from a distance. With other dogs she is polite but dignified. She is not nervous or timid and lacks aggression in any form; however, she is aloof and perfectly willing to correct any dog she finds disrespectful or overly familiar. On first impression, one could be forgiven for dismissing the Volpino as a beautiful little lapdog, meant to sit daintily on his mistress’ lap as she laughs at his antics. It takes only a few more moments, however, to realize the Volpino is everything you would not expect from his appearance. He is a true rustic working dog with strength, courage, playfulness, and intelligence. Even his beauty is functional, for his glossy white coat defies rain and snow and mud, and ensures he can be easily seen at a distance or in poor light. For two and a half thousand years, artists and writ- ers of the Mediterranean have drawn, sculpted, or written of the small, fox-like, vigilant watchdog that was the beloved companion of children, royalty, and commoners across the Italian peninsula. Compare a living Volpino Italiano to a figurine sculpted in the 4th Century BC, or a portrait painted in the 19th AD, and the Volpino appears frozen in time.
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VOLPINO ITALIANO
of dogs still living and working in farms and rural areas, and slowly recovered the breed’s rustic genetic base. Today, the Volpino Italia- no remains rare, but continues to grow in recognition. Recognized by ENCI in 1903, FCI in 1956 and UKC in 2006, the Volpino was recognized as an AKC FSS breed in December 2021. With FSS recognition, VICA members are excited to begin attending AKC events. The Volpino is an athletic dog and loves the mental work of training. Her long history has created a tre- mendously flexible dog. She has a moderate-to-high drive, but an excellent off-switch. She is gentle with children and small animals, gets along well with other dogs (though she prefers the company of people), and is alert to, but not frightened by, horses and other large animals. Her keen intelligence and close human bond make her delightfully easy to train, and she often picks up new commands simply by watching other dogs. Her eyesight is quite good, her hearing is sharp, and her nose is exceptional. She is quick and nim- ble and tends to excel in Agility, but she is also naturally inclined to succeed in Obedience, Rally, Tracking, Barn Hunt, Coursing, Scentwork, and Trick Dog competitions. At home, the Volpino is an easy companion and a generally healthy and hardy breed. His luxurious coat is impossibly simple to maintain and sheds very little except when he blows out his under- coat twice a year. Regular nail trimming and tooth brushing, a healthy diet, daily exercise, and the companionship of his people are all he really needs to stay healthy and happy. In Italy, they say, when you look at a Volpino, what you are seeing is the “pure joy of life.” After the last few years of challenges the world has faced, VICA is excited to share this joy with you.
This impression only strengthens as you have an opportunity to work with the dogs. Following the Roman era, the Volpino was best known as the companion of Italian farmers. He had his admirers in the great houses and palaces of the Italian aristocracy, of course, but it was in the fields and yards of the rural Italian farm that the Vol- pino thrived. In a December, 2020 article from Fine Dining Lovers titled, “The Dark Side of the White Truffle,” an elderly man recalls growing up in a truffle hunting region of Northwest Italy: “The dog was more than a member of the family. I remember when we were children… the dog would get to eat raw eggs because they give strength, while we were only eating bread… Both the truffle dog and the Volpino ruled the house. The dogs were sacred in our home.” In the south, the Volpino was the frequent companion of one of Italy’s ancient livestock guardian breeds—the Cane Corso. In this partnership, he played the part of the vigilant watchdog, noisily sounding the alarm to call over the farm’s protector to neutralize any threat. In addition, the Volpino hunted vermin, and herded poultry and smaller farm animals, and he rode with the farmers and merchants on their carts as they took their wares to market. Sadly, following World War II, and later, the collapse of the Italian mezzadria system of share-cropping in the 1960s, both the Volpino Italiano and the Cane Corso teetered on the brink of extinction. By the mid-1960s, the Volpino had all but disap- peared from the dog fancy world. Fortunately for those of us who love the breed, in 1968, Italy’s national kennel club (ENCI) and a man named Dr. Enrico Franceshetti began an effort to recover the Volpino Italiano from obscurity. Throughout the 1970s and ‘80s, Dr. Franceshetti traveled the Italian countryside, finding pockets
BIO Sarah Wilson is the current President of the Volpino Italiano Club of America, and the proud owner of Volpino Tessa (Sogni di Tesoro/“sweet dreams”). Ms. Wilson is a fairly recent admirer of the breed, first learning of Volpinos six years ago when genealogy research led her to southern Italy. It took her three years to find a puppy and less than a month to fall head over heels in love with it. For the first year, she wondered if she had just lucked out and gotten one of those impossibly perfect one-in-a-million dogs we all dream of finding. But then she discovered that “Tessa” is pretty standard for the breed and that Volpinos really are just that lovely. She and Tess live with the rest of the menagerie, which includes three cats, two rabbits, a green-cheeked conure, two horses, a German Shepherd Dog, two kids, and one incredibly patient husband.
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